The information described in this background section is not admitted to be prior art.
A central venous catheter (CVC), also known as a central line, is a catheter placed into a large vein of a medical patient, for example, into the internal jugular vein in a patient's neck, the subclavian vein or axillary vein in a patient's chest, the femoral vein in a patient's groin, or into a vein in a patient's arm (e.g., the cephalic vein, basilic vein, or brachial vein) (i.e., a peripherally inserted central catheter (PICC line)). Central lines can be used to administer medications, fluids, and/or parenteral nutrition to patients, to obtain blood specimens for testing, and to measure central venous blood pressure. Central lines also can be used for patient dialysis.
Central lines and other types of catheters generally employ standard Luer lock fittings that provide a disconnectable/reconnectable fluid connection between the tubing of the catheter line and the tubing of an IV source or other line. Central lines and other types of catheters, particularly through the Luer lock connections, provide pathways for bacteria to enter into the bloodstream, which can lead to sepsis or other infections. For example, tens of thousands of central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSIs) occur in medical patients every year, contributing to thousands of patient deaths, and substantially increasing the costs of medical care. CLABSIs and other catheter-associated infections are particularly problematic in pediatric patients, who have a substantially higher tendency to disconnect the Luer fittings on their central lines or other catheters, thereby separating the catheter lines from IV or other source lines, exposing the catheter line to the environment, and compromising the sterility of the line.